Not many would have foreseen this semifinal trip for Canadian Milos Raonic, maybe not even Raonic himself.

After missing the bulk of 2017 with a variety of injuries, he was off to a poor start in 2018. He entered this year's BNP Paribas Open with a 1-3 record on the year, losing in the first round of two of his three events.

But three wins and a walkover later, Raonic finds himself in the semifinal after a hard-fought 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 win over American Sam Querrey in front of a loud Stadium 1 crowd that seemed to be supporting both players equally.

"I don't know. It was possible. I don't know what I expected," Raonic said when asked if he thought a semifinal trip was on his mind entering this event. "I knew I could play much better than I did over the last weeks. So, you know, tennis is a little different now than it was two, three years ago. There's a lot more openings in drawings and these things and you step up and you have got to take them."

Raonic, who will now face Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinal, is referring to the absence of players like Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and a full-strength Novak Djokovic from the field, which leaves parts of the draw open.

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Milos Raonic, of Canada, returns tha ball to Sam Querrey in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells.(Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

But Sam Querrey wanted to sneak into one of those draw openings as well and he was in great shape to do it.

Querrey led 5-3 in the opening set, but Raonic came to life, rattling off four straight games, including two breaks of serve. Querrey was serving to win the set at 5-4, but played some very loose points. Querrey gave it away more than Raonic grabbed it. He let the loss in that game carry over into the next two as Raonic took over.

"I think sort of that, you know, back up against the wall was the last chance I had in the first set, and I wasn't putting any balls in," Raonic said of his four-game surge. "I made him play a few, and he sort of started a little bit to just doubt himself, because he wasn't in any rhythm, either."

Despite his frustrating last 14 months, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that Raonic is making a run here. If you don't count 2017 when he missed this event due to injury, Raonic has now made it at least to the semifinals three straight times here. He lost in the semis to Roger Federer in 2015 and made the finals in 2016, losing to Novak Djokovic.

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American Sam Querrey stretches to return Canadian, Milos Raonic's serve in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells.(Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

"Honestly, I just have a personal calm at this event maybe compared to others. It's a little bit quieter here. It's easier to be around the tennis. You don't have to fight through traffic to get here. You get here with ease. So I think that gives me a personal calm," he said. "I think the conditions help. Obviously, this year it's quite a bit slower than it has been in the past, but the ball still moves through the air even though the court slows it down a bit. But it's always bounced high. So I think there have been a lot of things that have contributed to me feeling comfortable here."

Querrey did bounce back to win the second set 6-2, and the third set was on serve with the American serving down 4-3. That's when Raonic earned the only break of the set, ripping a forehand winner to cement the break and, in essence, the win.

The loss for Querrey was a particularly painful one. While the trip to the quarterfinals was the best he's ever done here, a win would have put him inside the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in his career. But, at the moments when he needed his best tennis, he couldn't muster it.

His loss also means another dubious streak will continue. No American man has won the singles title at this event, the second biggest tournament in the United States, since 2001 when Andre Agassi did it.

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Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Daria Kasatkina of Russia plays against Venus Williams of the United States in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Kasatkina won the match. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Daria Kasatkina of Russia plays against Venus Williams of the United States in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Kasatkina won the match. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Daria Kasatkina of Russia plays against Venus Williams of the United States in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Kasatkina won the match. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Daria Kasatkina of Russia plays against Venus Williams of the United States in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Kasatkina won the match. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Daria Kasatkina of Russia plays against Venus Williams of the United States in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Kasatkina won the match. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Venus Williams of the United States of America plays against Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Daria Kasatkina of Russia plays against Venus Williams of the United States in their semifinal match at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018. Kasatkina won the match. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Juan Martin Del Potro, of Argintina, taps a cross court volley for a winner against German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

Juan Martin Del Potro, of Argintina, reacts to reaching match point against German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

Juan Martin Del Potro, of Argintina, throws his raqucet after missing several break opertunities against German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

Juan Martin Del Potro, of Argintina, throws his raqucet after missing several break opertunities against German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

Juan Martin Del Potro, of Argintina, at a changeover during his match with German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

Juan Martin Del Potro, of Argintina, waits at net after beating German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

The Bryan Brothers Bob and Mike, left, advance to the finals of the BNP Paribas Open for an all American finals against John Isner and Jack Sock after beating Pablo Cuevas and Horacio Zeballos on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

Pablo Cuevas, of Uruguay, and Horacio Zeballos, of Argentina serves to Bob and Mike Bryan of the US during the doubles semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun